A cobpobatior of



E. F. DUDLEY.

BED monow. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 31, l9l8- Pat-6mm Sept. 16, 1919.

HEET I.

SSH

iwfi't Marci E. F. DUDLEY.

BED Monom.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-31.14918.

3 1,1460 Patent-edSept. 16,1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. F. DUDLEY.

BED MOTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-31.19l8.

1316,.M6. lPate11tedSept.l6,1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3- E. F. DUDLEY.

BED MOTION.

APPLICATION FI'LED JAN. 31, 1918- 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. F. DUDLEY.

BED monow. APPLICAT ION FILED JAN- 3h IQIB- java/afar" lawmdr v Pate med Sept. 16, 1919. I

E; F. DUDLEY.

BED MOTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 3| I l9l8.

LBIHAQHI Pamnted Sept. 16, 1919.

6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

IFBFWMD FRANK DUDLEY, UF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSTGNOIR T0 MIEHLE FRINTTN G FFE$S & MdltlUFdG'FUMNG UUMFANY, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS, h GOJEtFURATION OF ILLINOIS.

specification of Letters Patent.

BED-MOTION.

Patented dept. 1d ildltt. Halal). Divided and this application filed 21' a'nuary ill, tilled. fierial lilo. filddilfi.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, llnwann F. Dunner, a citizen of the United States, residing at @ak Park, in the county oi Cook and State out Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed-Motions, of which the following is a specification the same being a division of co-pending application Serial Number 118,189, filed September 2, 1916.

The invention relates to mechanism for converting rotary motion into to and fro rectilinear or reciprocating motion. it has more especial reference to means of this End for utilizing rotary motion for reciprocating the bed of a printing press or like machine.

lln devices for this purpose the bed is driven throughout the greater part of its stroke at a constant rate of speed bysuitable constant speed-mechanism, and is slowed down stopped, and started on its return stroke at each end of its travel by reversing mechanism embodying devices giving the bed a rate of speed gradually decreasing stop for reversal.

ary to employ gears axially shifted to bring .line' 6-6 ofFig. F3;

from the maximum speed to apoint of rest and increasing from such point or rest until the maximum speed is again attained.

It has been usual in mechanism of this character to employ such shitting or reversing devices comprising parts which reciprocate with the bed and at the time of reversal are moving in the same direction as the bed thus disadvantageously adding their momentum to that of the bed, the total or which must be'overcome to bring the latter to a lt has also been customthem into engagement alternately with oppositely rotating gears in order to reverse the direction of bed travel.. Likewise, an objectionable :teaturefound in bed reversing mechanismis the disposition of the operating parts at such distance below the plane of the bed as to preclude the employment of suficiently massive and most eficiently distributed supporting pillars.

By the invention olr' my co-pending application (a description of which is embodied herein for purposes of a clear understanding of the present invention) the bed reversing devices reciprocate, at the moment olfreversal, in a direction counter to the direction of movement or the bed prior to reversal, thus aiding in neutralising the jars and strains incident to reversal and due to the momentum of the bed and counteracting the tendency of the press to slide on the door, thus minimizing the strains on the press frame. These bed shifting devices are, moreover, on the same side of the center of gravity of the press as the bed itself thus avoiding any torsional strainon the press in a vertical plane tending to tip the press upon reversal. Furthermore the shifting of gears is dispensed with according to the present invention, and the power is transmitted by the gears in ,a constant manner without shock. Uther advantageous characteristics of the present invention from the standpoint of simplicity, compactness, eliiciency and dependability for the purposes intended will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a further consideration of the constructional features of the invention as set forth, by way of example, in the followingdetailed description of preferred and modified embodiments thereof asiillustrated in the ac companying drawings; wherein:

Figure l is a view illustrating in side elevation a printing press embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 1"

Fig. 3 is a central transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 oi Fig. 1;

Fig. at is a partial transverse vertical section on the line 4% of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. dis a similar section taken on the Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating a modified form of driving gear train stantially twice the width of the teeth 22",

the gear 19 being of a width corresponding to the width of the teeth 22, the extra width of the teeth 22 extending to one side of the gear 19.

The gear 20 on the shaft 18, which ma be called a transmission shaft, is in mes with a slightly smaller gear 23 which in turn meshes with a larger gear-24 mounted upon the same shaft 25 with the gear 22 previously referred to but rotating loosely thereon. The gear 24 is concentric with the gear 22 but of slightly less diameter and has inte al therewith -or fixed thereon by means of the bolts 26, 26 or in other sultable manner, a sector 27 having a toothed periphery 28 int. plane immediately ad acent and of a radius equal to that of the Wide toothed portion 22 of the gear 22. The segment gear comprising the gear 24 and its sector. 27 is caused, by the interposition of the idler gear 23, to rotate in a direction opposite to that of the segment gear 22 but at the same peripheral speed.

' A counter shaft 29 is mounted in the machine frame parallel to the shaft 18 and carries a wide gear 30 and a pinion 31. The

pinion 31 is constantly in mesh with a rack 32 downwardly facing from the bed 33. The gear 30 is arranged between planes which include the teeth 28; of the sector 27 and alsothe excess width of the teeth 22,

' but exclude the narrow teeth '22 and the complished by power transmitted from the narrow teeth of the segment gear 'As the bed travels one direction, the driving power is'transmitted from the shaft 14 through the gears 15, 16, the transmission shaft 18, the gear 19, the segment gear 22, the gear teeth 22?, the gear 30, the shaft 29,

the pinion 31 and the rack 32; the driving of the bedin the opposite direction is acdrive shaft 14 through the gear 15, the gear 16, the transmission shaft 18, the ar 20, the gear 23, the toothed sector 27 off the segment gear 24, the gear 30, the shaft 29, the pinion 31 and the rack 32. J

The train of gearing fromthe drive shaft 14 up to and including the gear 22 with its segment of wide teeth 22* on the one hand, and from the shaft 14 through the intermediate gearing to and includingthe toothed sector 28 on the. other, rotate uniformly in one directionthrough the first set of gearing and in the other direction 30 again engages the teeth 22 or 28.

as to the second set. It follows that when the gear 30 is in mesh with the teeth 22 it rotates in one direction and while in mesh with the teeth 28 of the sector 27 it rotates n the opposite direction, whereby the bed is moved in one direction or the other through the shaft 29, the pinion 31 and the rack 32 according as the teeth 22 or the teeth 28 have control of the gear 30.

As the teeth 22 and the teeth 28 each occupy eonslderably less than one-half a circle, there is an interval of time when the gear 30 is not in mesh with either of the teeth 22 or 28, at which time the gear 30, the shaft 29, the pinion 31 and the rack 32 are idle so far as any transmission of power is concerned. This interval. of time occurs when the bed of the press is at or nearing the hmlt of its stroke in each direction.

.During this interval, the bed is under the a link'35, the opposite end of which is pivoted at 36 to a reversing bar 37 guided within bracket guides 38, 39 for rectilinear reciprocating motion above the shaft 14 andshghtly below the plane of the bed 33. This reversing bar 37 is provided near its ends on the upper face with racks 40, 41 in mesh respect1vely with loose pinions 42, 43 on stationary shafts 44 and 45, or, obviously, the-pinions may be tight thereon and the shafts suitably journaled in-the frame. The shafts 44, 45 have also mounted thereon pinions 46 and 47 the teeth of which extend into the horizontal plane of the rack 32 but to one side thereof. Intermediate the two ends of the bed 33 alongside the rack 32, in the vertical plane of the pinions 46, 47 is a non-continuous or interrupted rack 48-, 49, the rack portions of which are adapted to be engaged by the pinions 46, 47 immediately before, at the time of, and after the reversal of the direction of bed move ment, the pinions 46 and 47 taking control ofthe bed through the means of the short rack portions 48 and 49 immediately before the gear 30 leavesthe teeth 22 or 28, during the interval of time when the gear 30 is in mesh with either of the teeth 22 or 28, and for a slight length of time after the hr e bed motion is thus during the period of reversal under the control of the reciprocating bar 37, such control being-received from the teeth 22?- and the teeth 28 of the regular bed drive at the exact speed of the bed movement between reversal points, without shock, the speed of the bed during the time that it is controlled by the reversing bar 37 decreasing gradually from the full normal speed thereof to a standstill at the point 180 lilhill

of reversal and then gradually creasing until the speed ofthe bed-drive is attained.

ill noteworthy feature of the construction is the fact that as the bed is slowing up under the control of the reversing bar, the said reversing bar is movingin a direction opposite to that of the bed, the momentum of the latter serving to neutralize the jar of reversing and to counteract the effect on the press frame of the momentum of thebed as the latter is being slowed down, in contradistinction to the usual formpf device inwhich the reversing mechanism is moving at the time of reversal in the same direction as the bed, whereby the tendency to skid the press on the floor and the consequent strain on the frame is augmented. At the instant of reversal, the bed being stationary, the

reciprocating reversing bar 3'l' 'is also sta- 1 tionary, the crank arm 21 being at dead center.' All of the advantages of the 'arcual motion of the crank are thus utilized, the increase in motion of the reversing bar 3'? being gradual from the dead center of the cranlr as it travels through an arc of 90, at

which time the bed is moving at its maximum speed and is then transferred to the regular drive.

lt' will also be observed that by the employ ment of the widev teeth 22* extending over a segment of the gear 22, together with the cooperating sector 27, the bed is driven alternately in opposite directions from the same drive shaft without the employment of gears shiftable upon their axesor other- 37 were disposed below the center of gravity of the press, the movement of the reversing bar at the time of reversal counter to thedirection of movement of the bed would by its momentum augment the momentum of the bed in the way of a tendency to up-end the press or subject the same to a torsional strain in a vertical plane about the center of gravity. The arrangement of the reversing bar immediately below the bed and its movement counter to that ofthe bed at the time of reversal assists in neutralizing the strains during the reversing without a tendency to nip-end the press and within less strain upon the frame than would otherwise be the case.

ln Figs. 7, 8 and 9 is shown amodified form of gear train for the driving of the bed in opposite directionsduring the medial portion of its strolre, the reversing mecha- H nism remaining the same as previously dethat the gap on one side of the shaft 62 emltl ' ment gears 6t and 65, the former lying immediately adjacent the gear 6i and the latter separated from the gear 61 by the width of the scent gear 6t. The segment gear 64: entends through an arc of 120 degrees, as does also the segment gear 65, the two scents being angularly disposed so 85 braces an arc of degrees, while the gap on the other side embraces an arc of 89}. deees. Upon the countershaft 29 which carries the pinion 31, meshing with the bed raclr 32 is mounted a pair of pinions 66 and 6'1 the former arranged to mesh with the segment gear 64L. Alongside the shaft 29 is a stub shaft 68 carrying a wide or double faced pinion 69, one-half of the face of which is arranged to mesh with the segment gear 65 while the other half thereof is in meshconstantly with the pinion 67. The wide gear 69 runs idly upon the stub shaft 68 and serves for the reversal of-the direction of rotation of the shaft 29 during the ion time the said pinion 69 is driven by the segment gear 65.

The operation of this gear train is as follows: The gear 61 and the segment gears 64; d 65 being constantly driven in the rut direction indicated by the arrows in Figs.

8 and 9, the as W ent gear 64 comes into mesh with he pinion 66 a suficient length of'time after the scent gear 65 has left the pinion 69 to permt of the reversal of the bed as no previously described, by the reversing mechanism. 'lhe pinion 66 is driven by the segment gear 64 in a counter-clockwise direction thus moving the bed to the left through the mediation of the shaft 29 and pinion 31 H6 meshing with the raclr 92. After the teeth of the scent gear 6t clear those of the pinion 66, and allowing the same interval for the reversing of the direction of bed movement by the reversing mechanism, the teeth tau of the scent gear 65 come into mesh with the teeth of the pinion 69 rotating this pinion in a counter-clockwise direction and the movement of the pinion 69 being transmitted through the pinion 67' to the shaft 29 11% causing the latter to move in a clockwise direction and through the mediation of the pinion 3i and the rack 32 movin the bed to the right. During the functioning of the segment gear 65 the pinion 69 is thus the used for the bed in a reverse direction, but during the functioning of the segshaft 62 is to compensate for the disposition of the pinions' 66 and 67 on the one hand and the pinion 69 on the other in advance of each other, there-being a net interval of 60 degrees of are between the functioning of the segment gears 64 and 65 to allow for the functioning of the reversing mechanism to slow down, stop and accelerate the speed of the bed in the opposite direction.

It will be observed that in both forms of gear train, the driving, stopping and reversing of the bed motion is accomplished without the employment of. shifting gears, in the first described construction by the employment of segment gears. driven in opposite directions and in theform of construction last described by segment gears driven in the same direction.

I claim:

1. The combination with a reciproca'ble bed, of a gear train operating through a single rack attached to the bed to drive it alternately in opposite directions through the medial portion of.its travel, said gear train consisting of'members fixed against shifting-and including segment gears and a coiiperating idler.

2. The combination with a reciprocable bed, of a gear train operating through a single rack attached to the bed to drive it alternately in opposite directions through the medial portion of its travel, said gear train consisting of members fixed against shifting and including segment gears acting in succession one directly and the other through the medium of an idler gear.

3. The combination with a reciprocable bed, of a gear train operating through a single rack attached to the bed to drive it alternately in opposite directions through the medial portion of itstravel, said gear consisting-of members fixed against shifting and including oppositely rotating segment gears in succession one directly and the other through the medium of anidler gear.

4. The combination with a reciprocable to drive it alternately in opposite directions through the medial portion of its travel, and a. separate gear train operating to slow down, redn vers and accelerate the said'bed when it is delivered to it by the first train of gearing near each end of the stroke, the gearing of the consisting of members fixed a shiftingandincludin'g segment gears and'a eoiiperating ldler.

combination .with a reciprocable bed, of a' gear train operatingto drive it bed, of a gear train operating through a single rack attached to the bed to drive it alternately in opposite directions through the medial portion of its travel, a separate gear train operating to slow down, reverse and accelerate the bed when it is delivered to it by the first train of gearing near each end of the stroke, the first gear train consisting of members fixed against axial shifting and including oppositely rotating seg ment gears acting in succession.

7; The combination with a rcciprocable bedhaving a downwardly facing rack, of meansjor driving the same alternately in o posite directions, comprising a pinion meshing with the rack, a countershaft carrying said pinion, a wide gear on the countershaft, a continuously rotating drive shaft, two separate trains of gearing connecting the drive and countershaft, each train including a gear having\a minor segment of teeth arranged to mesh in turn with the wide gear of the countershait, and an idler' gear interposed in one of the trains whereby to drive the segment gears at uniform speed in opposite directions.

8. The combination with a reciprocable bed having a rack, of means for driving the bed alternately in opposite directions comprising a drive shaft, :1 transmission shaft geared to the drive shaft, two gears on the transmission shaft, a stub shaft, two gears mounted thereon side by side, the last mentioned gears each having a minor se ment of teeth of double width, the excess width of each extending toward the adj accnt segment gear, a countershaft, a wide gear thereon arranged to overlap the wide teeth of each of the previously mentioned segment gears and to clear the narrow teeth thereof, a pinion on the countershaft arranged to mesh with the bed ra'ck, the narrow teeth of the segment gears on the stub shaft geared to the two gears on the transmission shaft, and an idler gear interposed one of said trains whereby to drive the segment gears at uniform speed in opposite directions and to bring the segment of wide teeth of the two gears alternately into mesh with the wide gear on the countershaft to" alternate the direction of rotation of the countershaft and the direction of reciprocation of the bed. I

9. The combination-with a reciprocable bed having a downwardly facing rack, of means for driving the same alternately in opposite directions, comprising a pinion ment of teeth arranged to mesh in turn with the wide gear of the countenshaft, and an idler gear interposed in one of the trains whereby to drive the segment gears at uniform speed in opposite directions, and means to drive the bed and reverse the direction of bed movement in theinterval between the alternate engagement of the wide gear with the two segment gears, and comprising rack portions near the two ends of the bed, a constantly driven transmission shaft, a crank thereon, a reversing barlinked tothe crank, and having racks at its ends, a pair of reversing shafts, a pinion on each shaft arranged to mesh with the rack of the reversing bar, and a second pinion on each of the reversingshafts arranged to mesh with the rack portions during the aforesaid interval.

10. The combination with a reciprocable bed having a rack, of means for driving the bed alternately in opposite directions comprising a drive shaft, a transmission shaft geared to the drive shaft, two gears on the transmission shaft a stub shaft, two gears mounted. thereon s1de by side, the last mentioned gears each having a minor segment of teeth of double width, the excess width of each extending toward the adjacent segment gear, a countershaft, a wide gear thereon arranged to overlap the wide teeth of each of the previously mentioned segment gears and to clear the narrow teeth thereof, a pinion on the countershaft arranged to mesh with the bed rack, the narrow teeth of the segment gears on the stub shaft geared to the two gears on the transmission shaft, and an idler gear interposed in one of said trains whereby to drive the segment gears at uniform speed in opposite directions and to gears alternately into mesh with the wide gear on the countershaft to alternate the direction of rotation of the countershaft and the direction of reciprocation of the bed, and having racks at its ends, a pair of reversing shafts, a pinion on each shaft arranged to mesh with the rack of the reversing bar, and a second pinion on each of the reversing shafts, the reversing bar guided for reciprocation closely adjacent the bed and moving when acting on the bed in a direction counter to that of the bed movement.

11. The combination with a reciprocable bed having a downwardly facing rack, of means for driving the same alternately in opposite directions, comprising a pinion meshing with the rack, a countershaft carry:

ing said pinion, a wide gear on the counterbed and reverse the direction of bed movement in the interval between the alternate engagement of the wide gear with the two segment gears, and comprising rack portions near the two ends of the bed, a constantly driven transmission shaft, a crank thereon, a reversing bar linked to the crank, and having racks at its ends, a pair of reversing shafts, a pair of pinions on each reversing shaft arranged to mesh respectively with the racks of the reversing bar and periodically bed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscrlbing witnesses.

EDWARD FRANK DUDLEY.

Witnemes:

ALVIN G. Fisom, JOSEPH R. BLAINE.

with the corresponding rack portions on the v 

